Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:25 pm
The cost to Republicans of having Trump at the top of the ticket is beginning to be felt in other races as four formerly thought to be safe California House Republicans are in danger of losing their seats because of Trump’s poor performance in the state.
The Washington Examiner reported:
Rep. Darrell Issa, the high-profile former chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform committee, is now in trouble; so are Rep. Jeff Denham; Rep. Steve Knight and Rep. David Valadao.
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But Republican insiders there and in Washington say that Trump’s unpopularity in ethnically diverse California is now threatening to crater their party down ballot — hurting members who were previously presumed safe from top of the ticket headwinds.
Republican internal polling has Trump at 28%, which would be record-breaking low for a Republican presidential nominee in the state. Trump is on pace to shatter Alf Landon’s low water mark of 32% support in 1936. Trump is performing 7 points worse than McCain and Romney, and if he finishes below 35% in California, he may take several House Republican incumbents down with him.
Trump’s underperformance in swing states and red states is getting some examination, but it is his potential underperformance in blue states that could also cost Republicans House seats.
The landscape is uglier for Republicans than it was for Democrats during the 2010 and 2012 midterm elections. Democrats knew where the bottom of their decline was in the midterms. Republicans are underfunded and rushing to hang on to seats at every level of government because they have no idea how low Trump will take them on November 8.
Trump promised Republicans victories, but what he didn’t tell them is that those victories might be for Democrats.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
